Ellingham Yule
by robspace54
Summary: James Henry ponders one of this life's ultimate questions. Is Father Christmas real?
1. Chapter 1

**Ellingham Yule**

 **by robspace54**

 **Doc Martin is owned by Buffalo Pictures. This story is a work of fanfiction and in no way presumes any ownership of or intrusion upon the rights of the copyright holders of** ** _Doc Martin_** **, the characters, or story lines.**

 **Chapter 1**

"Daddy," I asked, "is there really a Father Christmas?" I looked up at my father and saw him flinch.

Daddy cleared his throat. "Well, it is a custom…" he wiggled under my weight, for I was sitting on his lap. We were nearly done with my second bedtime book, having had a bath, and gotten into pyjamas.

"I know about _customs_ , Daddy. But does he? Really?"

"Why do you ask?" Daddy asked uneasily.

I cleared my throat, in a near copy of Daddy's manner. "Suzie Timmons says there _is_ , but Tommy Crutchford said there isn't. He says that his sister said so. She's eight, so she should know."

"What's all this?" Mummy asked, coming out of the kitchen, as she wiped her hands on a towel.

I looked solemnly at Mummy. "I was just asking Daddy if there really is a Father Christmas. So is there?"

I watched as Mummy and Daddy gave each other a certain look. I knew that look; it was the one that meant they would talk about it later – just the two of them. Sometimes they went into the other room and whispered back and forth until they decided what the answer would be.

"Uhm, if you two need to leave the room and talk about it, go ahead," I told them. "Buddy and me can wait, can't we boy?"

Buddy lay at the feet of Daddy's chair, pressed against his brilliantly shined shoes. My dog thumped his tail against the floor, as if he agreed.

Mummy got down on one knee, but I could tell it was hard for her, with her belly all sticky out with the new baby in there. She smiled and smoothed my hair. "Oh sweetie. Mar-tin?" Mummy asked. "What _did_ you tell him?"

When she said Daddy's name that way I could tell she wasn't happy with him.

Daddy watched me with a blank look. "Nothing."

Mummy shook her head. "And _who_ , young man, has been tellin' you there _isn't_ a Father Christmas?"

"Oh…" it was a common thing me and my friends talked about. We'd tried to puzzle it out. "Kids."

"Who?"

I shrugged. "Tommy… and some others." I didn't think she wanted a list. All us kids wondered about the answer. Some kids said that they knew he was real and the others? Well, it was almost too horrible to imagine. No Father Christmas? What if there _was_ a Father Christmas and you didn't believe in him? Did that mean you got _nothing_ in your stocking? But if he didn't exist? Hm.

Mummy cocked her head. "Well who do you think will come in a few days and fill your stocking?"

I turned towards the mantle and there were our stockings. Five of them nailed to the board. One for Daddy, Mummy, me, the baby, and Buddy. "Well… I… I'm not sure."

Daddy coughed. "You saw him over in Truro in his grotto, yes?"

Mummy smiled. "Wasn't that nice? So see? That was Father Christmas."

Father Christmas had this awesome place in a building on the town square. There were singing animals (I knew they were 'lectronical 'cause Daddy explained it to me), and flashing lights on plastic trees, and big round snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. Then after a long, long wait in a really long line I got to sit on Father Christmas's lap and tell him about myself and what I wanted for the holiday. Then I got a sweet and a tiny toy lorry, the same one I held in my hand. It had a red body, and a white tipper box on the back, and it was fun to run it back and forth 'cause it made a rrrrrh noise when you turned the wheels. Daddy explained that too. He showed me a clock he was working on. There were little wheels inside with teeth on 'em, and when they turned that rubbed against a metal piece, and that made the sound. He told me the clock pushed the metal piece up and down (he called it a lever) and that made a little arm swing around and hit a bell. That's how it struck on the hours and the half hours. The truck was kinda the same, just without a bell.

I'd enjoyed the trip to the Christmas Market, but that too had set me thinking after we left Father Christmas's Grotto. Mummy and I shared a toffee apple, and then we drank hot spiced apple juice. Mummy and Daddy had a 'scussion about sweets and stuff, but then Daddy had a 'spesso coffee instead and that made him happy.

Anyway, if Father Christmas brought the gifts, then why all those market stalls, and right before Christmas? Father Christmas was sorta scary; I mean he was big and old and had this bushy white beard, but his eyes twinkled, sort of like Grandpa Bert's did when he laughed. Bert wasn't my grandpa, that was Grandpa Terry, but he'd been away a long time. We went to visit Grandpa Terry once. He had to live in this big building with bars on the windows. That was scary; scarier than going to see Father Christmas. But Grandpa Bert lived down the hill and up the other side now of the village now. Mummy said Bert was sorta' my grandpa too 'cause he took care of her when she was a little girl.

Buddy interrupted my thinking by jumping up to his feet and putting his paws on Daddy's knee, which he brushed off.

Daddy grumbled. "Down, stupid dog!"

Daddy wasn't very fond of Buddy but he was my dog. "He's just wondering as well," I said. "Will Father Christmas bring presents for Buddy?"

Mummy grinned. "Oh yes. Count on it."

Daddy's lip curled.

"Ah. Good then. So there is a Father Christmas." I nodded, half not convinced.

Mummy kissed my brow. "See? All's good then. Right as rain."

Right as rain. Hm. But when it rains you get wet and Mummy gets mad if I jump in the big puddles when we walk to school, so how could rain be right? Even if you had on your wellies and your mack you'd still get wet. "If you say so," I muttered.

Daddy gave Mummy another one of those looks and she bit her lip. "James Henry, you know that we would never lie to you," he told me.

"I know." That was one thing I was sure of. Daddy always told the truth. He's a doctor and sometime what he says makes sick people angry, and then they might yell or cry; carry on, you know, when he says they have to do what he says to get better.

Now I know for a fact that people call him names behind his back. Mummy told me that does happen; can happen, if someone needs help and you give it. 'Cause sometimes when you help people they aren't really happy about gettin' help 'cause then that just makes 'em see that they weren't takin' their medicine they ought to or stop doin' all the wrong things that make them not well. Mummy says that's just the way people can be. But they really get happy in the end when they get over their sickness, but they sorta' take it out on my Daddy.

Mummy tousled my hair and grinned. "And we'll have a big feed Christmas Day when Aunt Ruth comes over, and Al and Morwenna, and their baby girl, and PC Penhale and Janice…"

Daddy groaned. "That many?"

"Yes," she snapped, "Oh and Grandpa Bert."

Daddy rolled his eyes. "Janice and Joe's baby is due any day."

"Shush," Mummy told him. "I called her the other day and she's fine, just getting big."

Daddy sighed and shook his head.

Janice was married to PC Penhale and they were having a baby as well. I remember when they got married last year and I got to go both to church and the Town Hall for the party after. PC Penhale asked Daddy to stand up in the front of the church with him. Bestest Man, he said. Daddy wasn't happy about doin' it, but Mummy made him be Bestest Man anyway. She put her foot down.

Now Mrs. Penhale (she lets me call her Janice 'cause she used to take care of me when I was a little baby) and Joe are gonna' have a baby and when it came then it, a boy or girl nobody said, would someday play with my new baby sister, when it came out. They'll be about the same age.

I looked over at Mummy's belly. I could tell her belly was bigger than last week. Her chest as well. Almost like she ate and ate and ate and was getting fat. Mummy said that that she and Daddy were gonna' have a baby and a little girl was now growing inside her. How did that happen? And how did they know it was a girl? Daddy had explained how animals, and even plants, and bugs were girls and boys. So when a girl rabbit met a boy rabbit… I sorta got confused about then 'cause Mummy came running into the room sorta' yellin' at him. Daddy quit talking so I didn't hear the end of his story about the rabbits.

I like it when Daddy tells me a story. His stories are about explorers, scientists, doctors, and sailing ship captains. They do great things to make the world a better place. The stories that Mummy tells me are more about history, like how she and Daddy came to be married, and what happened when she was little like me. I mean the way they each me tell things is different but _interesting_. I like Mummy's stories too because sometimes I'm part of the story.

But anyway, all I knew was that I was gonna' have a little sister in a while; spring they said. Sometime after Easter. So a girl rabbit meets a boy rabbit and then what? I wanted to know. It must be something pretty special because everything living thing gets born and lives and someday dies.

Daddy tries to keep the dying part away, long as he can, but it doesn't always work. Like his Aunt Joan. I never met her because she died on the day I was born. Sort of funny to think about an aunt that I never knew, but Mummy says that she loved me all the same.

Things wear out, Daddy says; like an old clock the gears get worn, the bearings pack up, and the mainspring gets wonky. But people aren't like clocks, he reminds me. We're not machines, more like bology working _like_ a machine. So I know people do wear out and when old and sick they die. Or sometimes they get really sick even when they're not so old and that's that Grandpa Bert says.

When that happens Daddy gets sad. Oh he doesn't cry the way Mummy does, but he gets sad all the same. When he loses a patient and I hear about it, I cuddle up to him, and the way that Daddy hugs me back I can feel how sad he really is. I think that Daddy just cries inside his head and not out loud like everybody else.

But how do things get started before they get born? About babies and bunnies? Where did my little sister that's not born yet come from? How did she _start_? I opened my mouth to ask _that_ question, when Daddy stood up, picking me up in his strong arms.

"Bedtime young man. No more questions for now."

Mummy struggled up to her feet to hug me and Daddy. "No worries now, James Henry. You and Buddy off to bed, the both of you." She kissed my cheek and I smelled flour and butter from the cake she was baking.

"Come on, Buddy. Bed time!" I told him, and my dog happily ran ahead of us to the stairs. "Come on boy! Race us! Top of the stairs!"

Daddy muttered, "Must that dog sleep with the boy?"

"It's fine, Mar-tin," Mummy sighed.

" _Full_ of germs and disease," Daddy grumbled but I knew that was just something he always talked about. Germs will eat you up if you're not careful so Daddy _always_ worries about germs and stuff that'll kill you dead.

"Buddy has his own bed, so enough of that," Mummy told him.

Buddy really likes my Daddy; no loved I guess. Sorta' different from the way that people loved, but all the same Buddy loved my Daddy, and he loved me too. All the time Buddy wants to be with Daddy. Daddy isn't crazy about him at all, telling' him _shoo_. You see Buddy was Aunt Joan's dog before she died and went to Heaven so he got passed down to us, I guess. But I think maybe he chose us. You know dogs can go almost anywhere they want, except climb trees; only cats can do that. Somethin' about revolutions Daddy says.

Revolutions make everything living thing best fit for where they live, so it can do somethings really well. Others not so great. So a fish can swim real well in water, but has no clue what to do on dry land. But gulls can swoop right down in the water, grab a fish like _that_ , then fly away with their supper. Birds live on the land, _and_ they can fly, but for a little bit they can go underwater too, just like the skin divers that come to the village.

But about Buddy? He coulda' picked anybody in the _whole_ village to live with but he chose us instead. Maybe because we're family?

"Come on Buddy!" I repeated and he ran up the stairs to the landing, stopped and turned, barking. He's really smart is Buddy. Sometimes I can almost hear him talk. I mean I can guess what he needs or likes or what he's about to do. "Alright, boy! Hold your horses," I told him.

Buddy scampered ahead of us and ran into my room.

"Do you need to use the toilet once more?" Daddy asked me when he tucked me under the covers.

"Nope."

"Teeth are brushed?"

"After my bath." I bared my teeth. "All bright and shiny."

"Well done." He sat down on the foot of the bed. "James, I want to thank you again."

"For?" I yawned.

"Finding that tiny screw I lost in my surgery the other day. I needed it for that… _special_ project… I've been working on."

I sat up, put my arms around his neck and whispered into his ear. "It's for that watch _you're_ _fixing_ for Mummy."

"Yes, it's an antique…" He glanced at the open door, where footsteps approached. "Mummy's coming. Shh. Goodnight James."

"'Night Daddy. Love you."

"I love you too James." He kissed my cheek and that felt nice.

Mummy came in, without her apron on. "Goodnight sweetheart." She bent down to kiss me "Now don't you go worryin' about Father Christmas. He'll be here before you know it."

She and Daddy stood up, took hands and just looked at me. It was nice to see them together like that.

I yawned. "Love you Mummy and good night.

After they switched off my lamp, and closed my door, Buddy got into his little bed and circled around three times the way he always does, then settled down on the cushion to look at me.

I stretched out my right arm to pet his furry head. "Good night Buddy boy," I whispered to him. "Bet you dream about my dead Aunt Joan sometimes."

The little dog sighed and yawned.

That made me yawn again too. But I knew - just knew it - that I had to make sure that Father Christmas was really real.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Set a course**

"James, I have to walk up to the co-op market and buy celery. If you promise to stay right here you can sit on this bench and watch the boats."

We were on the Platt, the flat part of the village between the water and the Lifeboat Station. "Yes, Mummy, I will."

She smiled. "You are always so obedient, James. This must be how your father was a little boy."

It seemed hard to think of my parents as children but they used to be once. "And he had blonde hair like me. Not dark like yours."

Mum laughed. "Genetics James. Daddy could explain it."

"I know. Will my baby sister look like you or like Daddy?"

She smiled. "Don't know. Children can take after either parents, or be sort of a combination."

Mum walked away as I paid attention to the boats in harbor. It being winter and almost Christmas there were only two in the bay right now. The green one was silent and dark, but the big blue and white one had the engine cover off and Chippy Miller and Captain Mike Chubb were poking around under it. I could hear them arguing as well.

Chippy said, "It's a bloody daft thing to put the fuel filter where you can't get to it!"

Captain Mike bent down, then stood and threw a handful of something overboard. "Chippy we have to keep the dead fish outta the bilges! What a stink!"

"Not my fault you old bugger!" Chippy responded. "It's your stinky old boat!"

"Well you work fer me!" Mike answered. "And you'll do as I say!"

Then they were off on their usual bickering. They'd worked together for years, and they seemed to be friends on land, but on the boat they went at each other hammer and tongs. I once saw a blacksmith heating an iron bar and bending with his hammer and tongs, and that did not look like much fun.

But it was funny in a way to hear Mike and Chippy yell at one another. Capt. Mike was short and Chippy much taller, but their voices carried across the water as they yelled louder and louder. I laughed as the two of them argued and threw their arms wide. Who needed a telly when you could watch a great show like this?

Right then Andy Davies and his cousins Ike and Mike Clancy walked towards me. My heart sank into my wellies.

"So what did the Doc have to say?" Andy prodded my chest. "Doc Martin's prolly the smartest bugger in town. He'd know right? About Father Christmas?"

Andy wasn't very nice, or his cousins either. They were two years older and liked to pick on the five-year-olds when they could get at us on the schoolyard. "Oh he's real," I told him weakly although I had my own doubts.

"Humph," Ike scoffed. "About as real as little people and piskies!"

I don't know what got into me; defending my Daddy I suppose. I jumped up and grabbed Ike's coat. "If my _Daddy_ says that Father Christmas is REAL well _THEN_ HE _IS_!" I yelled into his dirt smeared face.

Mike spun me around and had his arm pulled back for a punch when a loud adult voice stopped the proceedings.

"Hey! You! Boy! Stop that!" Grandpa Bert was standing not six feet away, hands on hips. "Now what's all this then?" He was wearing a new suit along with his battered wool cap. He'd started makin' a lot of money after his Cornish whiskey business got going but the cap was just the same old one he always wore.

"Nuthin'," Andy answered sheepishly.

Mike's arm slowly lowered. "Just… foolin' Bert."

Ike started to slink away like he wasn't involved.

Grandpa Bert took me away from Mike, putting me in the shelter of his heavy arms. "That's _Mr_. Large to _you_ three." He looked down at me. "Master James Henry. What have you got to say about this?"

I looked at Andy and saw him gulp. Grandpa Bert would have no fear at all about calling anyone's parents to tell on 'em.

"Oh," I shrugged. "You know. Just… kid stuff."

"Humph." Bert looked towards the chemist shop. "Oh, looky there. Isn't that _PC_ _Penhale_ acomin' this way? Now what would our good Constable think about this?"

My three tormentors ran away like the devil himself was chasin' them as I heaved a big sigh.

Bert sat down on the bench and patted the spot next to him. "Those three are trouble."

I sat next to him. "I know."

"They hurt you boy?"

"Nah." That was my answer but I felt sweat across my back and in my armpits. "But they're big kids."

He laughed. "I thought you were gonna get a punch right in the headlights."

"Yeah," I sighed. "I should have known better than to… _agonize_ those three."

He put his arm around me. "I think the word is antagonize, James Henry. All's well that ends well." He squeezed me tight. "Many a time I was down; felt like the whole world was ready to stand on my neck. Right?"

"Doesn't feel so good."

"Nope. But you know what? I just kept carrying on! Keep a narrow course, just like them boats at sea. Now if your course doesn't bring in any fish, well then you have to pick a new course! Or maybe get a new boat? Or get outta fishin' completely and try your hand at something new? Look at me! I been a plumber, ran a restaurant, and then a handyman," he sighed. "None of 'em much good. But then I thought about makin' whiskey?" he laughed. "That was the ticket. So set yourself a course boy. It might be a whopper of a challenge – but you never know!" He sighed. "I got me a fine house, a new car, and money to burn, and with Al and Morwenna's baby, I'm now a grandpa. We'll have a fine supper at their house this evening. What used to be your Auntie Joan's farm, _great_ -aunt really."

"But you're _my_ grandpa _too_."

"Right you are. But you're special 'cause I chose you and yer mum." He sighed happily. "Yes sir, things are _finally_ good for old Bert." He slapped my knee. "And tomorrow on Christmas Day we'll all get together up at your house for _another_ feast." He chuckled and ruffled my hair.

I thought about what he said. "Like my Daddy used to be a surgeon, but now he's just a doctor?"

"And a mighty fine one too. Your dad decided… well… he… you see… Portwenn is awful lucky he changed course and came way out here to Cornwall. He… was _looking_ for somethin' and by God he found it! Now, where's yer mum? Or are you out here all alone?"

I pointed up the hill. "Co-op."

Bert smiled. "Christmas fixin's?'

"Celery. Yech."

He laughed. "Oh, here comes yer mum now."

Mummy bustled up to us and hugged Grandpa Bert. "Everything alright?" she asked.

He turned his head and winked at me. "Sure. Not a care in the world."

000

At supper I kept looking at our Christmas Tree in the corner. It was pretty, all covered with little lights and ornaments.

Daddy wasn't happy about bringing it inside last week but Mummy told him, "James will have a Christmas Tree Mar-tin, so you had better get used to the idea."

Daddy bristled back. "Louisa, these trees can harbor any number of spores and molds. An artificial one… the one we used last year… would be adequate."

"Well you get a bucket of soap and the hose pipe and scrub it clean. Okay? James wants a real tree."

So Daddy and me washed and scrubbed until there was no tomorrow. Luckily it was warm that night and the next day and no rain, and it dried just fine.

Mummy had us put it in the corner and then we made it beautiful. "There, better than that tatty artificial one we had last year," she told us after Daddy lifted me up to put big gold star on the top. That was a few days back and now it was Christmas Eve.

After supper Mummy was doing more baking, while Daddy and me tidied and ran the vacuum cleaner. Finally I started to yawn so Mummy gave me my bath and then Daddy pulled out a book.

"This one?"

The cover had an etching of a Christmas sleigh. "I like that one. I remember it from last year."

"But…" Daddy caught the eye of Mummy. "Fine. Ahem. 'Long ago Father Christmas needed a helper to deliver gifts of Christmas.'"

Mummy sat on the arm of Daddy's chair and put her arm around him and me. "Sometimes Father Christmas needs a little help."

I peered up into Daddy's face and he winked at me, for I knew that he'd finished repairing the watch for Mummy. I was pretty sure that she wouldn't mind getting a gift from me and Daddy too. I mean Father Christmas usually brought the rest, right?

By the time we got to the end of the book I was sleepy. But what Grandpa Bert told me stuck in my head, plus the mean things that Andy and the other boys had tried to do to me. Okay. The way to really know – one way or the other about Father Christmas – is to go _see_ him flying over the village in his sleigh.

I had set a course, as Grandpa Bert said.

Mummy and Daddy tucked me into bed, and I was pretty excited, but I tried to look sleepy yawning to beat the band.

"Sleep tight," Mummy said. "When you get up in the morning Christmas will be here. Like magic."

"Louisa, magic?" Daddy asked her. "Really?"

She chuckled. "If it was magic that brought me you and James, _and_ this baby girl I'm carrying, then so be it."

Daddy actually smiled. He doesn't smile very much but when he does you know he means it.

"Yes," he cleared his throat. "Fine. Good. Magic then."

Arm in arm they wished me good night and closing the door left me with Buddy in my room. I waited a good long time until the house got really quiet. They had been talking and I heard doors open close. I've no idea what they doing. Finally no more footsteps or voices, just the sound of a breeze and the waves hitting the rocks against the harbor cliff.

I had to fight to stay awake, but I did.

That was another idea. That Father Christmas had to be _magic_. How could he visit all the Christian kids in the world in one night? And flying reindeer? Maybe they're really special reindeer. Well anyway, I was gonna find out.

I knew that I just had to go looking for an answer. I rolled over and peered down at Buddy, who opened an eye and looked back. "What you think boy? Ought we go look for Father Christmas?"

My dog rose up and shook himself.

"Right," I whispered in his ear. "Mummy and Daddy are all asleep. We have to be really quiet now."

He seemed to nod in agreement.

Up from bed I touched the window glass. It was cold. Really cold. "Have to dress warm for that." It looked a clear night with a half moon.

"Right." I took off my pyjamas, and put back on the jeans and shirt I'd worn that day. They weren't dirty, just crumpled from being in the hamper. Clean underwear of course, and I added a red and green Christmas jumper that would keep me warm under my coat. I looked around my room in the pale light of my torch.

My book satchel hung on my desk chair. I pulled out some school papers, added what I'd need, then slung it over my shoulder and tip-toeing into the hall, slowly descended the stairs. I was mindful of the squeaky ones, but I only had to be really careful on the second from the bottom. Daddy drove lots of extra nails into it but they always worked loose as our old house settled.

Down in the kitchen, I snuck into the pantry, climbed on the extra chair in there and got some digestive biscuits from the tin. Mummy hides them from Daddy but it's sort of a game because Daddy and I both know she eats them anyway. But the biscuits were to keep up my strength. From the fridge I got out some milk, and poured a small glass. I didn't spill much, but Buddy licked it up anyway.

I nibbled on a biscuit until I heard a squeak of a bedspring upstairs. I froze. Was Daddy awake? Or maybe Mummy? The clock on the wall (Daddy taught me to tell time when I was three) showed it was 1:15 AM. Surely they would stay asleep?

Buddy panted a bit, so I put my hand on him to keep him quiet. When I didn't hear any other sounds, I put my empty glass on the counter, quietly stepped into my boots, put on my coat, woolen hat with earflaps, and my heavy mittens. With book bag slung across my chest, I took a deep breath and pulled the kitchen door open a crack.

"Right," I whispered to my dog. "Come on Buddy, we have to find Father Christmas."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – The quest**

So if Buddy and me were going to find Father Christmas where to look? He hadn't been to our house yet, I didn't think, because I had stayed awake and surely I would have heard his sleigh land on the roof. But the front room was all dark when I went downstairs, so there _might_ have been presents under our tree. I'd forgotten to look but I could check when I went home.

I took a deep breath of cold air and made my way around to the front of the house. There were a few lights on in some houses, and Christmas lights were switched on along Fore Street, but village was mostly dark. I sighed while Buddy cocked a leg against outdoor wheelie bin.

Okay, get to it lad, as Grandpa Bert would say, get to it.

"Come on, Buddy," I whispered and he scampered after me down the hill.

About half the houses were empty in winter because a lot of townies owned them now and only came down when the weather was warm. The wind blowing in off the ocean was cold so I pulled my hat down tighter and turned up my collar. My little torch was a feeble beam in front of me, barely able to see Buddy's white backside as he ran ahead.

"Buddy! Not too fast!"

He stopped and turned, waiting for my legs to catch him up.

We got to the Platt and I carefully looked around the corner. No one was about, not even at the Crab and Lobster, although the lights were on. Church Hill was empty of folk too, so I crossed to stand outside The Slipway. I craned my neck up, looking for a sleigh, or the sound of reindeer flyin' overhead. Nothing, just the whoosh of wind.

I looked toward Mrs. T's chemists shop and I froze when I saw a light appear in an upstairs window. I hunkered down by a stone pillar, pulled Buddy into my arms and tried to look like a rock. I heard a window open from over that way.

"Somebody out there?" Mrs. T called out. "Who's there?"

Mummy didn't like her for some reason and Daddy was really proper with her. I didn't mind her because she always made a fuss over me, callin' me a handsome boy and saying that I had wonderful hair. Sometimes she gave me a lolly.

"Sal!" I heard her husband Clive call out. "For Heaven's sake it's almost 2 in the A.M. Come back to bed!" Mr. Tishell was tall and loud, from workin' on the oil rigs, he'd explain, but he was retired now and living with his wife over the shop.

She answered him, "But I could have sworn I saw something."

He said something I didn't catch, but she laughed and then the window slammed shut. The light went out and I breathed a sigh of relief. "That was too close, Buddy."

He wiggled out of my arms so I had to run after him.

I checked all the streets off the Platt, and even looked (quickly) in the spooky alley next to the Golden Lion near the pasty shop. Nothing to be seen anywhere. Not a reindeer, or any sign of a sleigh on the ground or in the air. I trudged up outside the school yard where the village holiday tree stood. It was made of lobster pots, and decorated with a few strands of lights.

We had the Christmas Lightup a few days ago. Joe Penhale was given the honor of switching on the lights and he'd made a big speech about family and community, friends all that. Daddy muttered how the man should hurry so we could all go home. Mummy gave him a look and he shushed himself.

I then tugged on his sleeve. "Daddy, pick me up."

He did and I got a better look at Joe and Janice who together pushed a great big switch. It wasn't real, because I'd seen Al building it. It was just some boards and ply, with an old hinge and painted red. One by one all the lights lit up down Fore and on many houses.

Janice tried to hug Joe but is real hard for her 'cause she was really big. Big as a house. Any day her baby would come Daddy said and I wondered if it be born on Christmas Day like baby Jesus? That would be something. The Vicar had been talkin' every Sunday for weeks about baby Jesus waiting to be born while his parents wandered the countryside, almost like me on this cold night. But he got born in a stable behind an inn. Mummy told me that I was born in a country house, a pub, out on the edge of the moor. Sometimes we went there and ate sandwiches and it sorta made me feel funny to be there thinking that 'over there' (Mummy had pointed to the spot) was where I got my first breath of air.

Well, unlike little baby Jesus, at least I had a nice warm bed to go back to, when my project was over.

But that night, at the Lightup Chippy and Al and some other fellows set off loads fireworks and Roman candles down on the Platt. Brilliant and smashing! That was pretty exciting, especially when a pile of dirty rags and some cardboard cartons on the Platt caught fire! Luckily the lifeboat crew assembled, and got it put out right quick. Daddy had to treat a burn or two that night. He wasn't happy; not about first-aid, of course, but some of the men had been drinking and that made them do silly things. He didn't put up with silly; not one bit.

I looked around the empty street thinking that all I'd gotten so far was tired legs, cold nose and feet, and a sense of disappointment. It was two in the morning on a cold night and all I wanted to do was to go back home.

Maybe Andy and the other big kids were right after all? So was it just a story? Something that grownups made up for little kids? It didn't seem fair somehow if that were true.

Shaking my head I sat on the step outside the old Boathouse and thought really hard about it as Buddy walked around me a few times sniffing the air. Then he lay down with his chin on his lap with a sad look.

"I know boy, maybe it's hopeless."

Suddenly Buddy jumped up and took off up towards Back Hill and I had to run as fast as I could but he was too fast for me. I saw him turn the corner so I ran up there. He was about fifty feet around the corner sniffing the air like crazy. When he saw me he went off again like a rocket and then scampered into Trewatha Lane.

I sighed because I was too tired. "Come on Buddy. Enough. Don't be a dumb dog." A few houses up the street he put the brakes on and got down his chest to the ground. I went up to him and asked him what the matter was?

He whined and nuzzled my hand. Two houses away from us there was a van parked outside Grandpa Bert's house. The front door was open and I saw a man walk right into his house. It was sorta funny because the house was all dark and I supposed they must be friends of his. He'd bought this house up here because most of the houses were empty a lot of the year and he said he all he wanted was peace and quiet. There wasn't a single light showing in any of the houses, but for his. A dark and lonely place to be after midnight.

"But maybe he stayed with Al and Morwenna?" I said softly, but curious, I walked over to his house.

The van on the street was old and dirty, with the back doors propped open. Inside I saw furniture, a telly or two, a bike, and a big pile of wrapped boxes, done up in Christmas paper.

I stood behind it wondering what was going on, when the driver's door swung open, and a big man climbed out dressed in a red coat and trousers. He was old too, from the way he walked slowly, and he knew it was cold as well for his the coat had a hood and it was pulled up over his head.

He bent over and coughed a couple times then spat into the bushes. He looked and I got a good look of his face. He had a white beard, well it was mostly white, some gray too, but his cheeks and forehead were red from the cold. I froze.

He jumped when he saw me. "Hey you!" he hissed. "What're you doing out here? Shouldn't you be home snug in your bed?"

I gulped as I stared at him trying to fit the pieces together. Red trousers and coat, white beard, a hood, lots of presents – Christmas presents? "Oh my… gosh! You're… _Father Christmas_!" I managed to blurt out. All my concerns melted away with that statement. He was real – really, really real. I was looking at Father Christmas! And he was here! Right here! Right here in Portwenn!

"Oh no," he muttered. "It's a kid!"

Behind me I heard footsteps and someone picked me off the ground. "What are you up to? Who are you?" a gruff voice asked in my ear while Buddy growled and ran back and forth making lunges at the two of them.

I turned my head. This other man must be one of the elves. "I'm… I'm…" The man holding me smelled like tobacco and he wore an old blue jacket and jeans. He didn't look near as nice as the elves at the Grotto. I swallowed hard. "I'm James Henry Ellingham," I managed to say, then turned my head to face Father Christmas. "Don't you remember me? I'm only five-and-a-half but _I_ remember _you_."

Father Christmas recoiled the way that Daddy does when he sees something unpleasant. "Sure, sure, uhm… James," he answered. "It's just… well, you know! So _many_ little boys and girls, right? Hundreds."

"Thousands, more like. Must be hard to remember all the names. Like my Daddy. He can't recall names well at all, but he does remember his patients. Gout, or stubble rash, or diabetes. He always gets that part right."

"Oh lord the kid belongs to the village doc," the elf murmured.

"And my Mummy as well," I told him. "She's our Head Teacher. You can put me down. I won't run away."

The elf set me back on my feet while Buddy growled again. "Shush, Buddy. Sorry 'bout that. He's nervous is all." I bent down to pet his head. "Buddy you be good. It's Father Christmas and one of his elves."

Buddy barked again then backed away from my hand. "What's the matter boy?" I asked my dog, but he was not to be calmed. He was nervous.

Father Christmas asked me, "Ellingham? This is Portwenn, right?"

"Oh yes, but you ought to know that."

The elf mumbled. "I heard about the village doc. A tough one." He gave me a funny look. "This kid is smart."

"Oh no you're wrong. My Daddy is the best doctor fer miles around," I said proudly. "And yes I am smart. I can tell time and read a lot, and I know all my ABCs and lots of math. But where's your sleigh?"

Father Christmas stared at me, his mouth working soundlessly. Finally he spoke. "Oh, uhm, well, my uhm reindeer…"

"Are sick," said his elf. "All came down with reindeer flu. And the sleigh…"

"Broken down." Father Christmas bobbed his busy head. "Yes, sick somethin' terrible. So… we… you see… now we're doin' Christmas outta this van, see?"

I looked closer at what was inside. "Not so many presents. Or maybe they come when you need them?"

The elf laughed. "Yeah, kid. Right. Magic. He just snaps his fingers!" he cackled in not a nice way.

I knew it. _Magic_. Father Christmas was MAGIC, just like Mummy said. Now it _all_ made sense! "I was wondering how reindeer could fly, but I understand now." I went towards the van and looked in through the open doors. "Bringing presents to my Grandpa as well."

The elf looked at Father Christmas and then scratched his head. "Right. We're… uhm, _delivering_ … that's it, your Grandpa's gifts? Got it?" The elf seemed really nervous while Father Christmas shifted from boot to boot.

I asked him, "So you already been out to Al and Morwenna's too? I know they need a new baby cot because their little baby girl is growing up really fast."

"Yes… yes... we have," Father Christmas nodded.

"That's good. And PC Penhale's house too?"

The elf stiffened. "Now little James, which one would that be?"

I turned and pointed down the road to Rosscarrock Cove. "Right down that way, couple streets over. Look for the sign to Rosscarrock Cove. Bottom of the hill across from the beach. It says POLICE on the front and everything."

The elf and Father Christmas then had a quiet conversation. "But what about this one?" the elf said to him.

Father Christmas shrugged. "He's just a little boy…"

I looked closer into the van. "Say that's Grandpa's new telly, the one he bought himself when his whiskey business went national." A tiny alarm bell was slowly ringing in my head.

The elf smelled like tobacco. Would elves smoke? Maybe. I looked at the elf and finally noticed his dirty fingernails, the scuffed toes of his boots, and a loose seam on his trousers. The boots on Father Christmas' feet were brown, not black, and when he smiled he had a broken tooth right up front. I didn't remember that from when I saw him in his Christmas Grotto.

I cleared my throat and I don't know why I said it. "I didn't think that Grandpa needed another telly."

"His old one… we're replacing it." The elf smirked. "Good as new."

I stepped away from them to look inside Grandpa Bert's house and oh my what a terrible mess! Someone had tipped over a table, books were pulled off his bookstand, and there was a broken lamp on the floor. I could see where the telly used to hang on the wall, but now the bracket thing was all bent looking.

I slowly turned as that mental alarm bell got louder and louder as I began to back away from the two men. Something was wrong. I backed out of the house, put my hand in my satchel and took out my camera. I flipped the switch that turned it on, but not the flash, and took two pictures of the man and the van real sneaky like.

Father Christmas and the elf were talking softly and from time to time looked my way. Their arms waved about and I was pretty certain the subject of their chat was me.

Time to go, I thought. Past time. Buddy was beside the van and I waved with my hand and he came over to me. "Come on boy. I think…" I whispered.

I was turning around to go when the elf reached out for me. "Where are you going?" he snarled. "Hey! The boys got a camera!"

That's when I kicked him in the ankle really hard and ran like the dickens. I managed to get about twelve feet when the elf swiped at me. I jumped to the side and then I guess I fell… a long way. Because I saw stars and the moon go past a couple times and then… it all got dark for a time.

Far off I heard Buddy's nails clicking on the pavement growling and barking like mad. I tried to sit up but the world just whirled around and around.

"Boy? Boy?" A faint voice was saying over and over. "Kid? You hurt?" A hand touched my arm and that hurt. I guess I moaned.

"Man you done it now!" I heard Father Christmas say. "You hurt the child!"

"Me? Me? Your idea!" the elf was saying. "Your bloody idea. 'Let's go out as Father Christmas!' Bloody brilliant that. 'No one will be about,' you said. 'Easy pickings.'"

I bit my lip both in pain in fear. I wanted to home, in bed, with the door locked, and not out here, in the dark, on the cold ground.

"At least that bloody camera is smashed," the elf said and I hated to hear that. Daddy had given it to me for my birthday last year and I took pictures of birds and animals, the boats and the houses.

Father Christmas picked me up. "Alright now. Off we go."

It felt good to be carried I guess, but things got fuzzy and my arm was really bad. I felt tears run down my face. "Owww… I think my arm's broken," I whispered.

"Where to?" the elf asked.

"The copper's house you idjit! The kid's got a whack on the head! Poor little boy."

The elf pulled at Father Christmas but he held on to me in his strong arms. "Go to the Bill like this?" the elf complained.

I heard the van door open. "You rest easy boy. We'll take good care of you."

The motor started up. "Get in you bloody fool!" Father Christmas shouted. A couple of doors slammed. "Here take the boy."

I was handed off like a sack of spuds then my stomach felt funny and my head really started to pound.

"Rosscarrock Cove, right," someone said then we had a short but swift drive up hill and down, rushing around corners and I thought I'd spew. Finally a screech of brakes and noises. A pounding on a wooden door. "Hey! Open UP! HELP! Officer! Help us! Got a hurt child out here!"

Hurt child? Oh that was me.

"Sorry kid," the elf said as he laid me across the van seat. "Didn't mean fer you to get hurt."

There was more shouting as then I heard PC Penhale. "What's going on in the middle of the night? OH MY GOD! What have you done?"

"Joe?" Janice said in the background. "What's happened? Quick Joe call the Doc!" Suddenly she was right by my side. "Oh James Henry. Oh my poor baby."

I wasn't a baby I thought but I could not get the words out. She was gonna have a baby and so was Mummy, but I wasn't a baby. No, I was five-and-a-half.

Someone put a quilt over me as I head Janice crying.

Then I heard Joe. He must have been on his radio because he was using his copper voice. "This is Officer Joseph Penhale 3021 in Portwenn. I got a child, five years old, head injury. I need medical transport! The road's blocked? Well then scramble the air ambulance! Do we need it! YES YOU BLOODY FOOL IT'S THE DOC'S KID! DOCTOR ELLINGHAM's CHILD – DO YOU GET IT? LISTEN YOU OFFICIOUS LITTLE… MAN… MOVE IT! NOW! YOU HAD BETTER HAVE THAT BIRD HERE – ON THE BEACH IN ROSSCARROCK COVE – INSIDE OF FIFTEEN MINUTES OR I'LL HAVE YOUR BADGE AND YOUR ARSE!"

"He said his arm's broke too," Father Christmas told him.

Things got really dark then and I guess I fell asleep. Then I heard my Daddy and he wasn't happy.

"James! James? Louisa, my bag! Quickly now. Hm. Head, arm. James? James."

"Oh GOD Mar-tin? Is he alright?" That was Mummy.

A bright light shone in my eyes. "Hi Daddy," I managed to say. "My head hurts awful bad."

"Severe concussion. Needs a scan stat. Rule out cerebral hemorrhage. X-ray for a possible broken arm." He touched my chest and I groaned. "Perhaps ribs as well."

"Oh James," Mummy was blubbering in my ear and hot salty tears dripped on my face. "Oh my dear. What were you doing out here? Joe, who are those two men?"

"I don't know Louisa, but you stay calm," Joe said. "I'll be findin' out and right soon!"

Janice was blubbering away and I wanted to tell her and Mummy that I'd be alright because my Daddy was going to fix me up.

Then I felt Daddy picking me up, while a big red helicopter came down in cloud of dust and fog. More sounds, opening doors and people talking, a cold mattress under my back, Mummy holding my left hand while I was carried.

"You hang in there James," Father Christmas yelled to me as a door was closed shutting out most of the cold night air.

"Truro Hospital - ten minutes," someone said.

"Make it quick," Daddy told them. "James, we're just going to hospital for some tests. Mummy and I are right here with you."

I was glad to hear that because I felt chilled and very, very tired. Then the copter blades spun faster and faster and me and Mummy and Daddy went for a ride.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Hospital**

I guess I was fuzzy about a lot of things after we got to hospital. Mummy cried a lot and Daddy yelled at doctors and nurses who weren't moving fast enough to suit him. The people were pretty nice I guess but they kept pushing Daddy out of the way.

"Dr. Ellingham I know that you are upset, but we are caring for your son, fast as we can," one doctor told him.

"Well go faster then! What about the MRI? That should be done first!"

"Not until we have the x-rays."

"This child is disoriented, he's already vomited twice, and the lump on the back of his head is the size of a goose egg and growing larger!"

"Martin, give the man some room," Mummy told him.

Daddy almost growled at her. "Louisa! I'm only trying…"

"Martin, a word?" Mummy took Daddy out of the alcove and when they came back in Daddy didn't yell any more, least not that I could hear. But he stood by my bed keeping an eye on everything that was going on. What my temperature read, how fast my heart was beating, all that. When the x-rays showed up he and another doctor stared at them closely.

I heard Daddy sigh.

"Martin?" Mummy asked. "How _is_ his head?"

I reached out and touched her hand. "Mummy, can we go home now? The bright lights hurt my eyes."

The other doctor told her, "Mrs. Ellingham, your son has no skull fracture, just the broken arm. Radius broken above the wrist and likely an elbow sprain as well."

"And the… uhm… _his_ ribs?" Daddy asked.

"Bruised perhaps. No visible fractures, but there may be micro-cracks. He will be sore."

"Thank God for that! Might have been…" Mummy stopped. "A lot worse." She bent down over me. "But what were you doing outside?"

I gulped. "I… I had to know… so went to find Father Christmas."

"What?" Daddy exploded. "Of all the…"

Mummy touched my cheek. "Oh sweetie why?"

"The big kids said he wasn't real so I had to find out."

Daddy came to the bed and looked softly at me. "Is that what this is all about? Good lord."

Mummy looked at Daddy and I thought she would cry harder because she had been crying since I saw her. "I'm only five-and-a-half," I whispered to her.

"That's right, James. You're just a little boy." She held my good hand.

My throat felt tight as I told her, "And I found him. I _did_ … but…"

The doctor butted in that he thought I should have the scan.

Though my head was aching I asked what that was.

"It will take a look inside your head," the doctor said.

"Make sure my brain isn't messed up?"

He looked at Daddy who was standing very still. "It's a big machine that can look inside. To make sure it's alright in there.

"James, the machine will make some loud noises, but do not be afraid," Daddy told me. "That's just the way it works."

Daddy rubbed Mummy's back and that's when I knew that that maybe I might not be okay. "Will I be okay?"

Mummy squeezed my hand tightly as she started sobbing again. "You'll be fine."

"I hope so Mummy. I do hope so."

Daddy leaned over me. "We can go downstairs with you for the scan."

"Good Daddy. I'd like that." It had been a very long day and night and I needed mum and dad nearby.

The doctor waved to someone out in the hall and a nurse came in. "This patient to the MRI suite and stat. He has top priority."

The nurse smiled. "Now let's get you down for a scan." She looked at foam splint on my arm. "We can work with that. But Mrs. Ellingham?"

"Yes?" mum answered.

"Perhaps when we get down to the suite you can help me undress your son? Better if they have a parent for that."

"I'll come as well," Daddy said.

The nurse pushed my bed along the hall with Daddy and Mummy tagging along; sort of a parade. Waiting for the lift the nurse said, "The MRI machine is in the basement. There is a small waiting area there for family members. You can stay there while we do the scanning."

"How long will it take?" I asked.

"Perhaps an hour," she told me.

Mummy nodded while Daddy fumed. "Get a move on," he told her.

She blanched. "You are Dr. Ellingham, right?"

"Yes."

"Your case study on mis-diagnosed AVMs was well written."

"Yes," he answered.

"What's this?" Mummy asked.

"A paper I wrote for the hospital on the incidence of missed congenital arterio-venous malformations."

"Oh."

"It's all anonymous, Louisa."

"Yes, right."

The nurse looked from her to him. "I… Oh."

The lift doors rolled open and Father Christmas and his not nice elf stood there, with Joe and Janice beside them.

"Joe, Janice!" Mummy yelled. "Oh you didn't have to come!"

"No we did," Joe answered, "After _these_ two told me what happened." Joe came to my bed and Father Christmas held the door open with his hand for Janice. "Say Master Ellingham, you gave us all a bit of a scare."

"Oh, I'm alright," I said to him.

Janice took Mummy's arm and hugged her. "Hey little man," she said to me and I could see she'd been crying as well.

Why was everybody crying all of a sudden? "Hey, Janice," I told her. "You gonna have your baby someday?"

She blushed and rubbed her tummy. "Hope so."

Joe chortled. "Can't have our baby too well baked now can we?"

I saw the elf say something to Father Christmas who shook his head _no_.

Daddy looked down at his watch. "All of this can wait."

Joe grinned. "Mystery solved Dr. Ellingham. These two geniuses got it into their heads that robbing a few houses on Christmas Eve was a good idea. And they was _incognito_ – as you can see – but that elf's costume needs work if you ask me."

The elf stuck out his tongue.

"But," Joe went on, "they was getting into Bert Large's house when James Henry and Buddy stopped 'em cold." Joe leaned down to me and smiled. "Me and yer dad? The Dynamic Duo, that's the two of us! But you, me and him? We're _The Terrific Trio_. Got it?"

Daddy groaned.

"We really must get this patient down to the MRI. May we?" the nurse asked.

Joe held up his hand. "Police business. So these two got surprised by our young Sherlock Holmes. 'Bout the time James Henry figured these wise guys weren't who they said they were he started to run."

"And that's when he fell into a sunken garden," Father Christmas said. "We didn't mean for that to happen."

The elf shrugged. "Yeah and then when we saw the kid was hurt…"

Father Christmas smiled. "We took him straight to the cops, erh, the cop. Took James quick as you please. So yes we're idiots, and we're crooks…"

The elf elbowed Father Christmas who pushed him away.

"Ahem, as I was saying we didn't mean to hurt _anybody_ , leastwise this little boy." He paused. "So PC, if we're bad men lock us up. But it is Christmas Day after all. So have a heart, eh?"

Joe rocked from side to side. "They did ask me to bring 'em here to make sure that James is okay. So are you?"

"I'll be fine," I told him.

But Joe was persistent. "I don't know, maybe I ought to arrest 'em anyway? What do you think?"

Daddy yelled at him, "Our son is battered, bruised, and broken – no thanks to you miscreants! What is it with Portwenn that trouble always comes looking for the Ellinghams?"

Mummy laughed and then they all did.

"Now," said the nurse. "Out of our way. MRI machine."

Janice moved out of the way and backed into the lift, but the elf grabbed her with both arms. She let out a little shriek and so did Mummy.

"Nobody move!" The nasty elf said in a gruff voice. "Me and him are getting out of here. Give us your keys, copper!"

Joe took out his keys. "If you hurt her, you are a dead man. Now let's be reasonable…"

The elf musta squeezed Janice for she started to moan. "Joe it's starting!"

Joe sprang forward. "What?"

"The baby! I think it's coming!"

Father Christmas turned around to face his elf. "You have got to be joking! Haven't we done enough damage for one day, or night?"

The elf sneered. "Bill, it's all your fault, as I was saying. Now get in here with me, or get out, but one way or the other I'm leaving. She's just _insurance_."

Joe walked forward holding his keys in one hand. "No one is going to hurt anyone. I'm am giving you the keys to my police vehicle." He tossed his key ring and it fell to the floor of the lift.

Daddy shook his head, then lunged forward and pushed Father Christmas _hard_. He fell forward into the lift and the doors began to close.

Joe jumped through the gap yelling, "Take your hands off my wife!"

I heard Father Christmas shouting as the doors closed with a solid thunk. The lift started to move I guess while Daddy pushed the lift buttons on the wall, and the lift stopped must have stopped. Daddy got a surprised look then tried to pull the doors open. They did open a little bit but jammed.

The lift had dropped about three feet because I could see Joe, Janice, and Father Christmas but only their heads.

Joe peered out at us. "Looks like we're stuck. Get us out Doc?"

"What about the escapee?"

Joe laughed. "That shove you gave Father Christmas knocked that elf down. He's going nowhere."

The nurse pulled out her mobile and dialed. "I'll call Maintenance."

Janice started yelling. "It's coming! It's coming! Joe! I need you!"

"Get these doors open!" Daddy shouted. "Now!"

You know what? My Daddy started shouting instructions through the doors. I heard a lot of yelling and hollering. Janice didn't sound very happy and not any of the men either. I guess having a baby is hard work, but in no time at all Janice's baby girl got born. Joe's sweaty face appeared in the gap between the doors about the time a mechanic showed up to get them out.

"Here she is," he said, holding up a little baby wrapped in his winter coat. "I guess we'll have to call her Carole, because she was born on Christmas Day."

"Hm," Daddy said. "A precipitous delivery. She'll have to watch that next time."

Mummy hugged Daddy. "Oh Martin. Better to have your baby in a lift than a pub?"

He smiled at her. "Yes – got the job done though."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Christmas**

I wanted to stay right there and see Joe and Janice and their new baby get pulled out of the stuck lift, but they took me down to the scanning place in a different one. The man and woman at the scanning room were nice to me, being ever so careful of my broken arm, after Mummy reminded them.

Then I said, "My radius is broken, not the ulna, so don't get it displaced. And the nurse upstairs stuck a needle in my arm so please don't mess that up either."

The grownups gave one other funny looks.

"His father is our village GP," Mummy explained. "And James is ever so smart."

" _Right_ ," the man said. "Now let us load him into the scanner." Then the man explained to me what was going to happen. "The big machine will send pulses of magnetic energy thru you, and with a computer in the other room we can build up a picture of what's inside. I and the nurse and your mum will be right in that other room on the other side of the glass."

"Like an x-ray but without x-rays. Magnets? I know magnets attract metal – iron and steel – but not aluminum, because that's not magnetic."

"Right you are. We'll put these headphones on so we can talk to you. And there's a microphone so you can talk to us. We'll make two scans of your head and neck. The first is a regular scan. That takes 20 minutes. You know how long that is?"

I nodded although it made my head hurt. "Of course I do. That's one thousand, two hundred seconds."

He shook his head. "How old are you?"

"Five-and-a-half. My birthday is July 14 and I'll be six then."

The man laughed. "For the second scan my assistant will come in and inject some fluid into the needle in your arm. That will let us take pictures of blood vessels in your brain. Now when all this is going on you relax and try not move. The second scan will take as long as the first one. None of this will hurt a bit."

Not any worse than my busted arm I hoped. "Come on then."

He slid me into the machine on a sort of bed, it was a big tube of plastic and there wasn't a lot of room, but there was a mirror in front of my eyes. I could see Mummy standing in the next room, chewing on her lip. "I'm fine Mummy," I told her. "Don't you worry one bit. Oh Mummy?"

I saw her take a phone they handed her and I heard her clear as bell. "What is it James?"

"Did Buddy come home okay?"

"He did, yes. In fact he was barking like made outside the back door. Daddy got up to see what the ruckus was about and right then PC Penhale called to say that you were at his house and needed us. I put him in the pantry before we rushed to the Police Station."

"Good. I wondered."

I saw her smile and wave but I could tell she was nervous, but I guess all mums get that way when their kids get hurt.

"Now James," a lady's voice said in my ears. "Just relax. Try not to move. If you need to swallow do it very slowly. Got that?" I guess she was the nurse.

"Sure."

"The scan starts now."

Finally they turned the lights down low in the room and the machine started to make a lot of loud banging noises. I lay as still as I could but I felt my heart beating faster and faster. There was nothing to be scared of, I thought, just a big old machine. No different from a car or airplane; just a tool. It wasn't nearly as scary as when the elf was chasing me, or when I fell down and the world got all whirly.

After a while I think I even fell asleep.

"James?" the voice asked.

"Yeah. I'm here."

"Of course you are." The nurse walked in and injected some stuff into my arm. "This may feel cold."

It did and then fuzzy as it went up my arm.

She stayed right there and took my pulse. "Good. You're doing fine."

Then she left me and they did the whole scan thing all over again. Twenty minutes. This time I tried to count the seconds but around three hundred I lost count. I guess I was more tired than I thought.

Finally it was all said and done and they pulled me out. "Did you get good pictures?" I asked.

"Brilliant ones," the man said.

"Can I have a copy?"

The man chuckled. "Sure can."

Then they took me and Mummy to a place to put a cast on my arm. I even got to pick the colors. "Can I have both green and red?"

The lady laughed. "Anything you want on Christmas."

She set to work after a doctor looked at my arm before she started. He told Mummy that he knew Daddy and would make sure it was all done right.

She answered, "I'm sure you will."

He smiled. "We all think a lot of Mr. Ellingham."

"Oh?"

The man laughed. "He's trained most of us to do it right the first time or be the subject of his ire. So yes – perfect as we can be."

Mum nodded. "You know my husband isn't mean, he just… well there are _proper_ ways to do medicine."

The man laughed. " _Proper ways_. Right. A very polite way of saying not to bollix it up."

After I got my cast (it had red edges at my wrist and above my elbow, and green in between) they rolled me back upstairs. They wheeled me into a room and when we went in there was Auntie Ruth along with Grandpa.

"Oh my God," Auntie Ruth squealed.

Mummy told her I was going to be fine.

Bert looked really sad, especially the way he was twisting his wool cap around and around. "James Henry Ellingham," he shook his head. "You alright boy?"

"I will be. Hello Auntie Ruth. Happy Christmas."

She came to me bed and looked me over. "I must say I've never seen a child so banged up on Christmas. Happy Christmas to you."

Mummy said to her. "James just had a little adventure is all."

Ruth shook her head. "Penhale called me about this _misadventure_ so I got Bert to drive me over. I must say either he's a better driver than he used to be – or driving a Lexus makes him extra careful." She sighed at me. "Young man you do know that you've given everyone a fright?"

I nodded, although it hurt head. "Yes… maybe… _no,_ it wasn't the best idea at all was it?"

Mummy got down by my bed. "No more adventures… for a while." She kissed me on the forehead.

Daddy came in with Mr. Parsons, who'd gone to medical school with Daddy. "Here he is," Daddy said to him

I knew Mr. Parsons and his family. He was the only person I knew who could make my Daddy laugh.

Mr. Parsons looked me over after greeting Mummy and Aunt Ruth and introducing himself to Grandpa. "You little rascal. You might have been hurt a lot worse. I suppose a bang on the head and a broken arm is the least of your worries."

I gulped. "Missing Christmas."

Mr. Parsons laughed. "You do know that Father Christmas makes a special visit to all the children in the hospital. I'll just make sure that he knows you're here." He left the room.

So spend Christmas here? My spirits sagged. _This_ was the worst. I'd no idea this might happen. If I'd have thought it all out… that was my problem. I didn't _think_. I hear Daddy say that about sick people when they do something stupid. 'He didn't think,' he'd moan. Well I didn't think about all the possibilities, but I had no idea what would happen. I sighed.

Daddy spoke in whispers with Mummy in the corner of the room, while my great-aunt rolled her eyes. Bert joined them. Then Grandpa Bert looked at me with a smile. "I reckon we might do that, if we have to."

"What's going on?" I asked.

Daddy bent down by my bed. "They want you would stay the night to monitor you. Your scans are clear though." He squinted at me, and I knew he was thinking. "So this was all to find Father Christmas."

"Yes. And I did, but he wasn't the real Father Christmas was he?"

Daddy looked very long at Mummy but when he faced me he was smiling. "Uhm James, Father Christmas is everywhere I suppose this day, but those two _idiotic_ criminals were not him. Just some locals who counted on a quick way to get money. Joe Penhale will deal with them."

"I figured as much. Oh, and my camera got broke. When I fell I guess."

Daddy swallowed hard.

"And Daddy I'm very sorry I was bad. I hope you won't be too mad."

He blinked rapidly, and then looked over at Mummy who smiled, while she wiped her eyes. Isn't it funny how you can cry and smile at the same time?

Daddy cleared his throat and said softly, "No I am not mad. I was worried… concerned that you were hurt. James you are the most precious thing in the world to you mum and me. We may not have liked that you snuck out of the house, but we will always love you." He stood up. "You'd be happier at home."

"Oh yes. Please?"

So Daddy went out the door and I heard some loud talking. It started soft but it got sorta loud. Finally Daddy came in with another doctor. How many doctors did this hospital have?

The lady examined my eyes, and the cast, then the lump on the back of my head. "So, your Dad says he wants to take you home. What do you think? Feel well enough to do that?"

I looked at Mummy and she was biting her lip. I guess it was up to me. My choice, so I brightened. "Yes, I do want to go home. I have to see what Father Christmas put in my stocking."

She grinned. "I think this will be a Christmas to remember."

It took a while for us to leave hospital as Mummy and Daddy had to sign a bunch of forms and nod their heads yes over and over until they would let us leave.

Luckily Auntie Ruth had the extra booster seat and she had Bert bring it along. It took some doing but we were all able to fit into Bert's big car, but Daddy refused to let him drive, taking over the wheel.

It's a long way from Truro to our village, and I did sort of doze off on the way home. But every time my head slumped, Mummy or Ruth would nudge me awake.

When that happened Daddy would ask, "James are you okay?" and Grandpa would look back at me with a worried face.

"Fine, Daddy but I'm real tired."

Mummy squeezed my hand.

When I saw the cottages of Portwenn I relaxed. "Gee, Mummy Janice and Joe had their baby girl on Christmas. That's really nice," I told her.

"A special day for them, certainly," Ruth told me. "Just like the day any baby is born."

I looked up at Mummy. "Miss Janice was yelling something fierce when her baby was born. Musta hurt a lot."

"Oh, it can, yes."

"Did it hurt when you birthed me?"

She smiled. "Little bit."

"And carrying my baby sister - does that hurt?"

"No sweetheart, not at all."

"Good," I sighed. I'd worried about that. "Do you love her as much as you love me?"

Mummy cried over that. "Oh no, James. I love you both equally."

"Even though she's inside you and you never seen her you still love her."

"I do."

"James Henry," Auntie Ruth added, "you don't have to see someone to love them, or even be with them. I still think about the people that I used to love, especially at Christmas time."

Mummy reached over me and took Ruth's hand. Ruth was old; a lot older then Mummy and Daddy. I guess she knew a lot of people who'd died.

"A lot of Christmases," I told her.

She smiled. "Oh my goodness, yes."

I wondered how many Christmases I'd see. Who knew? Did anybody know? When we came over the last hill, the sun was up. Christmas Day morning. Well.

After some fussing and fuming on all the grownups part Daddy finally got me out of the car and carried me into our house. There our tree was, and there were presents under it, and our stockings bulging to the brim and more.

Buddy came running to me, jumping up and down and licking my hand. Daddy put me on the sofa, arranged pillows under my head and back, my arm too, and then got a blanket across my lap.

"Comfy?"

"Oh yes," I yawned. "May I open a present?"

Mummy handed me big box and I needed her held cause my hand was out of action. It was a Meccano set. Oh boy! I'd seen one just like in Wadebridge in a store. It had gears and pulleys, and a motor which you could use to build things that moved. "Daddy, can we build a clock with this?"

He smiled. "It would take some work, and some additional sets, but perhaps."

I pulled him down to whisper in his ear. "You better give Mummy that special present."

"Uhm, yes. Good idea James." He went to the mantel and pulled a long box from Mummy's stocking. "Louisa, this is… ahem, Father Christmas asked me to give this to you. But James helped."

I watched while she opened it and she was so happy to get the watch that Daddy had repaired. He'd found it in a jumble shop last summer and it took him a long time to get all just right. She buckled it on her wrist and kissed Daddy right on the mouth. Of course he kissed her back.

"Mummy I helped Daddy. He lost a tiny screw on the floor but I found it."

She hugged and kissed me too and I felt baby sister move inside her. Just you wait, I thought to her, next Christmas you'll be out here and able to see all the good stuff there is.

My head got a little fuzzy after that, but as the grownups opened gifts and I drank cocoa, I watched Christmas day happen in our house. Presents, lights, music, food, music and being with my family. Al, Morwenna, and their Angie came over later on and after that Joe Penhale as well, so happy he looked like he could burst with the birth of his daughter. He said that Janice was fine, and the baby, and that she wished all of us a Happy Christmas.

Father Christmas does have help, because he needs it. Christmas is quite a big job, and grownups, and even little kids like me, help make it all happen. So is he real? Really real? Yes. The _idea_ of Father Christmas is real, and that is very special.

Buddy jumped up on my lap and I rubbed his ears. He and I knew the answer. Oh maybe he's not really real, but there _is_ magic in Christmas. I know because I saw it happen right in our front room that Christmas morning.

THE END

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Thank you for reading as I put this to paper. So many people enjoy Doc Martin and you may guess that I do too.**

 **I wish all of you, near and far, Nadelik Lowen! (Merry Christmas!) and Bledhen Nowyth Da! (Happy New Year!) as the Cornish say. To our Jewish brothers and sister, Happy Hanukkah!  
**

 **Cheers!**

 **Robspace54**


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